Bronx poet and spoken word artist, Lorraine Currelley, has nurtured a life-long love of the written word, and actively shares that passion with as many people as possible. As executive director of both the Bronx Book Fair and the Poets Network & Exchange, she is leading a group of fellow word lovers on a mission to expand literacy in the borough, provide workshops for writers, and promote storytelling by underrepresented groups in the literary world.

 

“I’m about change,” Currelley said. “I’m about growth.” In May, she was appointed State of New York Bronx Beat Poet Laureate for 2020-2022 by the National Beat Poetry Foundation. The organization’s website includes an explanation of what makes beat poetry stand out. “The difference between conventional poetry and Beat Poetry is, Beat Poetry gives a voice to everyone. It is the epitome of free verse using your own form, your own rules, to express your own ideas on love, life, and the world, with an emphasis on issues concerning the environment and humanity.”

 

In her role as poet laureate, Currelley hopes to bring more attention to not just her own literary works, but to a diverse group of Bronxites that are looking for ways to get their voices heard. With the Bronx Book Fair, which launched in 2013, she strives to promote a wide range of literary work, while also offering a forum where local residents can share their concerns.

 

“We need to address the issues affecting our community, like obesity, hyper-tension, and other health issues,” she said. “We need to utilize resources to bring attention to mental health issues. We don’t want to be just a literary group.”

 

At its core however, the Bronx Book Fair is dedicated to engaging and growing the community of poets and writers in the Bronx, and to connecting those literary artists to readers and book lovers of all ages. Through readings, workshops, and presentations the goal of the fair is to engage the community with a variety of literature and programs that will broaden access to Bronx literary artists, increase library usage, and encourage a love of books and reading.

 

Currelley’s ability to adapt is a helpful quality since she is adamant the annual fair will go ahead this year, once more, despite the pandemic. For the past several years, the event has taken place at the Bronx Library Center on Kingsbridge Road. Interest in past fairs has come from many places outside of the Bronx. “People have been interested in our fair from as far away as Atlanta, Indiana, even from Spain,” she said.

Undaunted by social distancing restrictions, Currelley is currently finalizing the arrangements for Virtual Bronx Book Fair 2020. The event will be streamed on Facebook Live and via Zoom from Oct. 2 through 5.

 

The drive and motivation needed to push forward a multi-faceted agenda was already on display during her teenage years. Her brother, Edward D. Currelley, saw it when she was a teen. Growing up in Harlem, Currelley traveled to the Bronx to attend Evander Childs High School on East Gun Hill Road.

 

“Lorraine was always very stubborn, headstrong, even in high school,” Edward said good-naturedly. As an adult, he said she remains focused when she sets an objective. “Lorraine is a very strong, vocal leader. She voices her opinion,” he said.

 

He praises his sister’s dedication to building up an organization, and an event that promotes greater inclusivity. “[Lorraine] is bringing in different generations to better understand each other,” he said. “Beyond just readings and selling books, it [the fair] has to be something to benefit the community,” Edward said.

 

Now, as a community leader, Currelley works to ensure everyone feels safe, whether they want to share their latest poem, express their current concerns, or simply show support to the growing number of artists in the Bronx.

 

“I say to the Bronx community that this is the people’s book fair,” Currelley said.

 

More information on the fair is available at www.bronxbookfair.com.  [An email account is required to log in.]